Segmented spine protector

ABSTRACT

A spine protector comprising a garment formed of a stretch-type material to provide a close fit about the trunk of a wearer is disclosed, the garment including means for receiving and retaining an elongate segmented member in a position substantially along the median line of the dorsal panel of the garment, whereby the garment, when worm, holds the segmented member tightly against the spine of the wearer. The elongate segmented member comprises a generally linear array of segments configured so as to allow said member to flex in the manner of a human spinal column.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to body protectors for use in sport and medicine,and more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to protection of thespinal column from trauma and excessive movement.

In many sports, particularly equestrian sports and other sports whichplace the participant in possibly perilous situations, such as motorcycle racing, there is a need to provide some form of protection inorder to reduce the likelihood of serious injury to the participants inthe event of an accident. In recent years, the wearing of protectiveheadgear has become commonplace in a wide variety of hazardous sportsand activities, and it is well-known that the incidence of cranialinjuries resulting from accidents in such situations has consequentlybeen much reduced. The acceptance of protective headgear by potentialwearers has been greatly improved by advances in helmet design andconstruction, modern helmets being fabricated from lightweight yetresilient plastics materials which provide excellent protection whileremaining comfortable and unobtrusive to wear.

Unfortunately, with regard to body protection, there is still a greatreluctance on the part of sports participants to make use of existingbody protection equipment. One of the reasons for this is that thepresently available body protectors are unwieldy and cumbersome, and canrestrict movement to such an extent that wearers may actually increasetheir risk of injury as a result of not being able to take evasiveaction in the event of an accident. One type of body protector currentlyavailable consists essentially of two rigid structures: one across theback, and the other protecting the front of the wearer. Two similarlyrigid pieces protect each arm. These pieces are stitched into pockets ina zipped jacket, which is then additionally secured with a waist band.Since it has been customary hitherto to use protective panels which arerigid, little flexibility is allowed, and this can have very dangerousconsequences in situations where a degree of flexibility is essential inorder to prevent accidents and injury. This is particularly relevant inequestrian activities, where a wide range of movement is vital in orderfor the rider to stay safely mounted in a variety of situations.Furthermore, since some currently available body protectors are notfitted with a gusset, they have a tendency to ride up the body of awearer, causing discomfort and reducing the protection afforded.

A body protector designed for motorcyclists is known from EP-A-0 436788. This body protector comprises a number of identical segmentsmounted on a flexible base. Although the segments do allow a limiteddegree of flexibility, their primary purpose is to protect the spine ofa wearer from impact damage by providing a foam-filled space between thespine and the exterior surface of each segment.

A similar type of body protector is disclosed in GB-A-2 249 942. Thiscomprises a number of plate elements hinged to one another and attachedto a flexible base. The plates are adapted so as to allow a wearer tobend forwards only. It is not possible for a wearer to bend backwards orsideways or to twist the body.

The human spine is remarkably flexible. The approximate maximalsegmental contributions for a particularly supple person are shownbelow:

    ______________________________________                                          i) Lumbar level                                                                              Flexion    60°                                                         Extension  35°                                                         Lateral flexion                                                                          20°                                                         Axial rotation                                                                            5°                                         ii) Thoracic level                                                                            Flexion    105°                                                        Extension  60°                                                         Lateral flexion                                                                          20°                                                         Axial rotation                                                                           35°                                        iii) Cervical level                                                                            Flexion    40°                                                         Extension  75°                                                         Lateral flexion                                                                          35°                                                         Axial rotational                                                                         90°                                        ______________________________________                                    

This flexibility must be considered in order to provide a body protectorwhich is comfortable to wear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda segmented member comprising a generally linear array of segments,which member, in use, is held tightly against the spine of a wearer,wherein the upper and lower edges of each segment are stepped in agenerally complementary manner so that the upper edge of one segment cancooperate with the stepped portion of the segment next above in thedirection of the axis of the segmented member and so that the lower edgeof said one segment can cooperate with the stepped portion of thesegment next below it, characterised in that the segments aredimensioned so as to permit differing degrees of flexion and extensionalong the length of the segmented member such that the segmented membermay flex in the manner of a human spinal column.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda body protector comprising a garment formed of a stretch-type materialto provide a close fit about the trunk of a wearer, the garmentincluding means for receiving and retaining an elongate segmented memberin accordance with the first aspect of the invention in a positionsubstantially along the median line of the dorsal panel of the garment,whereby said garment, when worn, holds said segmented member tightlyagainst the spine of the wearer Advantageously.

Advantageously, the garment is also adapted to receive resilientshielding panels or the like which, in use, will be held against thebody of the wearer in order to afford additional protection againstimpact. In preferred embodiments, the garment is made of a durableelastic material, such as LYCRA® (Registered Trade Mark of DuPont), andmay be provided with a zip or other type of fastening in order to allowthe garment to be put on with relative ease. The garment isadvantageously provided with a gusset in order to keep the garment inplace relative to the body of the wearer. In order to enhance the fit ofthe garment, a waist band may additionally be fitted. This waist band,which may be provided with a velcro fastening means, will generally bemade of the same material as the main body of the garment.

In preferred embodiments, the segments of the segmented member aremounted on a resilient base, and are provided with interfaces in orderto allow limited relative movement between adjacent segments, thusproviding a controlled degree of flexibility in the assembly of segmentsas a whole. The base is advantageously provided with a laminate on theside opposite to that on which the segments are mounted. This laminateis relatively harder to extend than to compress, and thus hindersover-extension of the segmented member while still allowing flexion. Theresilient base may be fabricated from a material such as ethyl vinylacetate foam. The segments may be rigid, or may be inherently resilient,as for example when fabricated from a resilient shock-absorbing materialsuch as ethyl vinyl acetate foam; such a material is preferably coatedwith a hard outer skin of for example polypropylene, carbon fibre or thelike.

Alternatively, at least one of the segments may comprise an outer shellwhich is filled with fluid to a required pressure. In this embodiment,each such segment may enclose a number of interconnected chambers incommunication with each other, for example in the form of interconnectedhexagonal cells. Such segments may be filled to different pressures inorder to customise the fit of the segmented member to individualwearers, thereby enhancing comfort and safety by providing a close fit.Each such segment is advantageously provided with a valve allowingwearers to adjust the fluid pressure in the segments themselves.Suitable fluids include air, water and fluid polymeric materials, e.g.silicones.

The segments may be attached to the base by way of an adhesive such asneoprene contact spray adhesive.

Preferably, each segment is a generally rectangular lamella and is morerigid than the support onto which it is secured. For convenience, thegeometry of the segments will be described herein in relation to theirorientation in use, i.e when fitted over the spine of a person.

The upper and lower edges of each segment are preferably stepped in agenerally complementary manner so that the upper edge of one segment cancooperate with the stepped portion of the segment next above in thedirection of the axis of the segmented device, e.g. by overriding thestep; and so that the lower edge of said one segment can cooperate withthe stepped portion of the segment next below it; this arrangementgenerates limited flexibility within a vertical plane passing throughthe axis of the segmented member and orthogonal to the plane of thelamellae. Conveniently, the stepped portion at the lower edge of eachsegment provides a basal surface over which the undercut portion of theupper edge of the segment next below it can ride. The overhangingsection of the segment, generally at the upper edge of the segment, ispreferably curved with a mean radius of curvature which is largerelative to the axial height of the segment; in this way it is possiblefor adjacent segments to pivot slightly against one another, thusgenerating limited flexibility in a plane passing through the axis ofthe segmented member and containing the plane of the lamellae. Theadoption of a relatively rigid series of lamellar segments mounted on arelatively resilient support provides a limited degree of flexibilityhelically about the axis of the segmented member.

By shaping and sizing the segments in an appropriate manner, thesegmented member is capable of flexing and extending in the manner of ahuman spine, but the limits of the flexion and extension are controlledand are generally arranged to be less than those of a natural humanspine. This means that when the segmented member is inserted into thebody protector garment, the spine of the wearer is protected frommovement beyond its natural range of flexion and extension, andconsequently the risk of spinal column injury is diminished. By makingthe segments out of a tough and resilient material, the segmented membermay also protect against trauma injuries caused by impact.

In certain embodiments, the segments are adjustable in size, allowingone size of body protector to fit a range of wearers.

Preferably, the dimensions of the lamellar segments, and in particulartheir height (i.e. in the direction of the axis of the spine) areselected to permit greater flexibility in the middle region of thesegmented member (and therefore the spine of the wearer) than in theupper and lower regions thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present inventions and in order toshow how the same may be carried into effect, reference shall now bemade, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the range of flexion and extension of the vertebral column;

FIG. 2 shows the range of lateral flexion of the vertebral column;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a preferred body protectoraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the body protector of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a segmented spine protector accordingto the present intention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the spine protector of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of spineprotector constructed in accordance with the principles of FIGS. 5 and6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of the spine protectorof FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic side elevation of one of the upper segments, seenin the direction of arrows IX--IX of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic end elevation of one of the upper segments, seenin the direction of arrows X--X of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the spineprotector according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the interior segments of the spineprotector of FIG. 11.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With regard to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is apparent that the range of movementof the human spine is very extensive. Consequently, for a body protectorto be comfortable to wear, it must allow a sufficiently wide range ofmovement. However, if the spine is forced to flex or extend beyond itsnatural range, serious injury is likely to result. It is thereforedesirable for a body protector to prevent movement of the spine beyondthese natural limits.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a body stocking-type garment 1, which is made of asynthetic polymer yarn, e.g. LYCRA® (Registered Trade Mark of DuPont).The garment 1 is provided with a zip fastener 2, and has a gusset 3which prevents the garment from riding up the body of the wearer when inuse Pockets 4 are provided to receive protective panels (not shown), andpocket S is provided to receive the segmented spine protector of FIGS. 5to 7.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show schematically a spine protector 6 comprising aresilient foam base 7, provided with a laminate 18 on one side, andbearing segments 8 on the other. Each of the segments 8 is in the formof a generally rectangular lamella having stepped upper and lower edges,the step at the lower edge being overcut and that at the upper edgebeing undercut.

The segments 8 are sized and shaped in the manner shown which, bymimicking the relative sizes of the vertebrae of a human spine, allowsthe spine protector to flex and extend to the required degree, whichwill be just less than the natural limits of the human spine. Thesegments 8 abut one another at interfaces 9, which, along with thelaminate 18, allow the spine protector to achieve a positive degree ofcurvature with ease, yet prevent an excessive degree of negativecurvature.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a preferred spine protector 6,constructed generally as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, in which the effectof the differently sized segments 8 in shaping the protector in themanner of a human spine can be seen.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the upper part of the spine protector ofFIG. 7. Taken together with the schematic views of FIGS. 9 and 10, thegeometry of the individual segments in the presently preferredembodiment can better be appreciated.

The lower edge 11 of each segment is an overcut step section, and theupper edge 12 is an undercut step section. Stepped edge 11 provides abasal surface 13 over which portion 14 of the adjacent segment can ride(see FIG. 10. The edge 12 is curved as can be seen from FIGS. 7 and 8;the mean radius of curvature of the edge of step 14 is large compared tothe axial height of the segment. It is also apparent that the curvatureis greater at the Outer regions 15, 15' than at the central region 16.The thickness of the segment (i.e. perpendicular to the plane of thelamella) also varies across its width, as seen from FIGS. 8 and 9. Theend face 17 of the overcut step portion 11 is linear.

FIG. 11 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention, inwhich segments 9 comprise an outer shell 20 which is filled with fluidto a required pressure. Each segment 19 is provided with a valve 21which allows the fluid pressure in the segment 19 to be adjusted. Asshown in FIG. 12, the interior of each segment 19 may comprise a numberof interconnected chambers, such as hexagonal cells 22, in fluidcommunication with each other.

Although the body protector of the present invention has been describedwith reference to sports protection, it is envisaged that the inventionwill find application in many other fields, such as orthopaedic surgeryand the rehabilitation of victims of spinal column injury, where spinalsupport and protection are needed.

I claim:
 1. A segmented member for use as a spine protector when heldtightly against the spine of a wearer, comprising:a generally lineararray of segments arranged along an axis; each segment having an upperedge and a lower edge and having a height defined as the spacing betweenthe upper and lower edges; the upper and lower edges of each segmentbeing stepped in a generally complementary manner so that the upper edgeof one segment can mesh with the lower edge of a segment next abovealong the axis and so that the lower edge of said one segment can meshwith the upper edge of a segment next below along the axis; wherein thesegments and the upper and lower edges of the segments are dimensionedso as to permit differing degrees of flexion and extension along theaxis of the segmented member such that the segmented member may flex inthe manner of a human spinal column.
 2. A segmented member as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the lower edge of each segment includes a basal surfaceover which an overhanging portion of the upper edge of the segment nextbelow it can ride.
 3. A segmented member as claimed in claim 2, whereinthe overhanging portion is curved with a mean radius of curvature whichis larger than the height of the segment.
 4. A segmented member asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the segments are mounted on a resilientbase.
 5. A segmented member as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base isprovided with a laminate on a side opposite to that on which thesegments are attached, and which laminate is harder to extend than tocompress.
 6. A segmented member as claimed in claim 1, wherein thesegmented member has an upper, a middle, and a lower region and thesegments and the upper and lower edges are dimensioned so as to permitgreater flexibility in the middle region than in the upper and lowerregions.
 7. A segmented member as claimed in claim 1, wherein at leastone of the segments comprises a resilient shock-absorbing materialcoated with a hard outer skin.
 8. A segmented member as claimed in claim1, wherein at least one of the segments comprises an outer shell whichis filled with fluid to a predetermined pressure.
 9. A segmented memberas claimed in claim 8, wherein said outer shell encloses a plurality ofintercommunicating chambers.
 10. A segmented member as claimed in claim8, wherein said at least one segment is provided with a valve allowingcontrol of the fluid pressure in the segment.
 11. A spine protectorcomprising a garment formed of a stretch-type material to provide aclose fit about the trunk of a wearer, the garment having a dorsal paneland an elongate segmented member as claimed in claim 1 which is receivedand retained in a position substantially along a median line of thedorsal panel of the garment, whereby said garment, when worn, holds saidsegmented member tightly against the spine of the wearer.
 12. A spineprotector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the garment is additionallyprovided with means for receiving resilient shielding panels.
 13. Aspine protector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the garment is providedwith a gusset.
 14. A segmented member for use as a spine protector whenheld tightly against the spine of a wearer, comprising:a generallylinear array of segments arranged along an axis and mounted on aresilient base; the base being provided with a laminate on a sideopposite to that on which the segments are attached, the laminate beingharder to extend than to compress; each segment having an upper edge anda lower edge and having a height defined as the spacing between theupper and lower edges; the upper and lower edges of each segment beingstepped in a generally complementary manner so that the upper edge ofone segment can mesh with the lower edge of a segment next above alongthe axis and so that the lower edge of said one segment can mesh withthe upper edge of a segment next below along the axis; wherein thesegments and the upper and lower edges of the segments are dimensionedso as to permit differing degrees of flexion and extension along theaxis of the segmented member such that the segmented member may flex inthe manner of a human spinal column.
 15. A spine protector comprising agarment formed of a stretch-type material to provide a close fit aboutthe trunk of a wearer, the garment having a dorsal panel and an elongatesegmented member as claimed in claim 14 which is received and retainedin a position substantially along a median line of the dorsal panel ofthe garment, whereby said garment, when worn, holds said segmentedmember tightly against the spine of the wearer.